Safe Ethiopia
Africa has, to some, a reputation as a dangerous place. Ethiopia gets similarly tarnished. Selective media reporting and historical legacies result in irrational decision-making when it comes to choosing where to go on holiday. These are misplaced.
Millions of people each year have safe, memorable and wonderful trips to Africa. A vanishingly small number of trips ever see any problems, and any problems that do arise can often be easily avoided.
At Brilliant Ethiopia, we want to ensure you have a safe trip, which means booking guides, cars, and local operators that we trust, and designing itineraries we know we can perfect.
To put your mind at rest and ensure a wonderful trip, here are some (non-exhaustive) tips and things to remember...
Reputation vs. Reality
Tourists often worry about bugs, beasties and terrorism. The reality is that you're far more likely to get injured in your car en-route to the airport in your home country than suffer serious injury from any of these problems in Ethiopia.
The blanket coverage given by the media and government travel advisories often misrepresent the reality on the ground. Whilst we always recommend getting advice, we also recommend putting this advice in perspective. By way of example, London or Paris would probably be off limits due to terrorist activity at the time of writing if they were in Africa, and weren’t so popular!
The Biggest Baddie - Roads
Spending too much time on the roads is probably the most dangerous thing you can do when travelling. Where possible, reduce the number of miles you cover by by road. If you do have to travel by road, ask your driver to go slow for you and travel during daylight, where possible.
Flights and trains, whilst perhaps more expensive, are usually many times safer than transport by road. Do ask us to ensure we book itineraries that you’re comfortable with.
Common Sense
Know your dangers, trust your instincts and use your common sense. Any good travel guide will help educate you on these - which are sensible, and which are misplaced.
A wise traveller who asks people for advice and listens to localised information will dramatically reduce the (already slim) chance of issues cropping up on their tour.
Things to actually worry about
- Sunburn
- Heat exhaustion
- Any pre-existing medical issues
- Why media is so negative
- Whether you will have enough battery to take enough amazing photos (trust us, there's a LOT to capture)
- Why there are so few animals and wild places left
- Whether your holiday is environmentally and socially conscious
And finally...a little perspective
In terms of street crime and gun violence, most U.S. cities are statistically more dangerous than the places we visit abroad.
Your risk of being killed in a car crash (one in 19,000), drowning in your bathtub (one in 800,000), or being killed by lightning (one in 10 million) far exceed your risk of dying from terrorism (one in 20 million).
Brilliant says
Do ask us about anything you’re unsure about, or if you’ve further questions. We’re here to ensure you have safe and Brilliant Trip.
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